My aunt told me that last week's episode of This is Us, entitled "The Cabin" was her favorite episode in a season and a half. While I'd argue that the best episode as of late was Kevin's "Hell of a Week", I do agree that this episode was a gamechanger, and felt oddly familar and comforting. It's not often we get all 3 Pearson siblings together (two live in L.A., one lives in Philly) and it's even less frequent we get them together without their spouses. This episode was all about the 'Sad Three' navigating a rough patch in their lives and figuring out what lies ahead. SPOILER WARNING! This episode is told in 3 timelines; 1993, 1999, and 2020. Let's start in '93, shall we? The Pearson kiddos are around 12/13 and oh my god they're annoying! But in a good, annoying teenager way. Jack thinks it'd be a fun idea for everyone to put something into a time capsule he got for them, including himself and Bec. In true Pearson family fashion, Kevin thinks the whole ordeal is stupid, Kate thinks it could be fun, and Randall is dressed out beyond belief at the idea of putting something meaningful in for him to find when he's 18. Meanwhile, Jack daydreams of building a dream house for him and Becca to grow old in, one up on a hill that overlooks their small cabin. He draws a sketch of it and throws it in the garbage. In 1999, Rebecca, Kevin, and Randall are on their way to the cabin to help Kate because they think she's in trouble. They're stopped by a snowstorm and their trip is delayed until the roads open back up in the morning. When they arrive, Marc is making breakfast and things seem normal, until they notice a draft coming from the window. The boys discover the window shattered, and Kate's hand wrapped in gloves. She claims she's fine, she's just cold, but when she takes off the gloves a huge gash in her hand is revealed. Flashback to the previous night, she tried to make coffee and a fire with Marc. He took Jack's mug when she asked him not to, and accidentally broke it. They fought, and he locked her out of the cabin while she collected firewood. It was snowing and freezing and she had to break the window to get back in. Rebecca is having NONE of Marc's shit and, quite simply tells him to, "Get the hell out of my house." He stands there unfazed, until the boys take a step forward and Rebecca remains firm, and he finally leaves. Becca holds teen Kate in her arms as she cries, "He told me he loved me." Present day Big Three leaves their familes (well Kevin, leaves Madison) behind as they embark on their sibling getaway. Toby offers to look after Jack for the weekend, insisting that he needs to do it to spend time with his son and also show Kate that he's the man she married. She reluctantly lets him, and things go mostly well aside from Jack nearly choking but it's all good 'cause Tobes has it under control. When the grown-up Pearson's arrive at the cabin, the power goes out almost immediately due to a storm. They head to a grocery store for candles, food, and shit (or in the case of Randall...wifi). While there, Kate listens to her voicemails from Madison (THREE OF THEM) in which she slowly confesses to sleeping with Kevin. Yikes. Meanwhile, Randall wants to get a signal so he can check the security cameras at his house, but service is so bad he can't. The siblings' frustrations come to a head as Randall and Kate finally tell Kevin that Rebecca is struggling and might be showing early signs of permenant memory loss. He storms out and sulks in the cold, but not for long before Kate and Randall come get him. They decide to dig up the time capsule because it's been nearly 30 years since they buried it. They didn't open it back in '98 because of the VERY SAD THING that happened that year. Inside they find: a picture of Kophie from Kevin, a game of M*A*S*H from Kate, a missing puzzle piece from Randall (Kevin's idea to ease his brother's anxiety), Jack's drawing of the house, and a tape recorder. Originally believing the drawing to be from Jack, they wonder why Rebecca left the tape and recorder. They listen to it and find out that she didn't; Jack did. It's a message from him talking about the family, and how Becca is the glue that holds them all together. She dug his sketch out of the garbage and put it in the capsule, something he suspected when he couldn't find it later. He describes how fiercely loyal his wife is, and how much he loves her. BRB BAWLING RIGHT NOW. THEN as if that wasn't enough we get a flash forward to approx. 10-12 years in the future, a time frame we've seen briefly before (the one where Bec is on her death bed). Kevin gets out of his car with food in a bag, pulling up to the house that Jack envisioned building for Becca all those years ago. He looks down, all salt and pepper and aging handsomely, at the cabin under the hill all lit up. Beth answers the door and we see that he made his dad's dreams come true, with the house and Rebecca growing old (and eventually dying we can presume) there. Alright folks! That's all I have for you! Are you crying again? Because I kind of am. Let me know what you thought of this episode in the comments! XO, Em
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It's completely my bad that it's taken so long to write this recap. I took notes on this episode while watching it and then accidentally deleted it (stupid phones) and then in an attempt to recover said deleted note, I deleted it forever, because I don't know how to use technology. So not only is this post hella late, it's also going to be completely based from memory because I figured it would be more fun that way. I am writing this obligatory SPOILER ALERT because I will feel very bad if I don't, but if you're two weeks behind on This is Us, that is nobody's problem but your own! Sorry for the sass, let's get to Kate's "Hell of a Week". Up until this point, the show has been building up an incident between Kate and her older boyfriend, Marc. He's 23; she's 18. He hired her at the record store and she likes him because he's like a security blanket from all the bad things she's endured. EXCEPT, he's really causing a lot of shit in her life. He gets mad at her for the smallest things, including her talking to a customer about music at the store THEY BOTH WORK AT. He's not driven, shows little to no interest in interacting with her family, and quits his job on a limb because he's pissed at Kate and then proceeds to get more pissed at her when she informs him that she won't be quitting with him. Side Note: I totally he said he quit smoking, when he said he quit his job. He said something about smoking in that same breath. I was probably just really tired. Anyway, Marc seems to have some sort of mental illness/alcoholism because he is very back and forth. When Kate addresses his outbursts, he apologizes and kisses her like nothing ever happened. I've read people on line diagnosing him with BPD or Bipolar Disorder, and I don't want to just throw a label on his issues, but those two do seem to make the most sense. Case in point, when Kate tells Rebecca that she and Marc are going to go stay at the family cabin the day after Bec's birthday dinner and Bec expresses minor discomfort, Kate and Marc take off, skipping her birthday celebration all together. On the ride there they seem to be having an okay time, singing Ben Folds and holding hands, until Marc snaps and begins to swerve off the road in the snow. He leaves Kate on the side of the road, with nothing but her overnight bag. Now's a good time to mention that not only is Marc emotionally abusive, he verbally harasses Kate on multiple occasions, typically resorting to calling her 'fat', which of course is triggering to her because she has always struggled with her weight, but having the person you love call you ugly and fat...that's just not right. Kate runs to the nearest gas station where she calls her mom, and this is the scene we've watched several times of Bec cancelling her birthday dinner and Kevin phoning Randall so they can go rescue Kate. Shortly after hanging up the phone, Marc pulls up to the gas station with a blanket for Katie girl, and they go back to the cabin before his next outburst. In the present day, Toby is sucking majorly and skips out on the blind children retreat because of 'work' and because he isn't really feeling having a blind son. Old Rebecca rules, and she decides to step up and go with Kate so they can spend some time together. Kate and Rebecca manage to go an entire trip without fighting, actually they bond instead. When Kate refuses to go swimming because of how she will look in a bathing suit Becca exclaims, "You're fat, I'm ancient, we're gorgeous!" I gasped as I watched such a positive, hilarious mother-daughter moment on TV and wept as they finally seemed to get each other. Becca heartbreakingly reveals her medical diagnosis, and Kate feels jipped because of course Bec's health is failing just as their relationship is back on course. There's a moment where the two of them sing "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morrisette at the karoke bar and it's so wholesome and beautiful. Side side note: Kate calls Gregory (her neighbor) to check in back home instead of Toby, and while I'm not sure it's anything romantic, I sure do love their dynamic. Oh! I totally forgot to mention that this whole time Jack is reading toddler Kate a bedtime story, one that she helps tell. It's all about a princess who just wants her mama. It's so fitting and perfect for everything that happens. She just needs her mom. Finally, the trilogy ends with Kevin and Randall calling Kate when she arrives back from the retreat and telling her that they want to take a 'Sad Three' trip to the cabin. What did ya think? Did you think the Marc stuff would be more or less extreme? Which episode of the Big Three Trilogy was your favorite? (Mine was Kevin's, obviously). Tell me in the comments! And if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, don't be afraid to the domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Everyone deserves help. It's not your fault. XOXO, Em Hi, my dear readers and This is Us fans! I want to apologize deeply for the delay in getting this recap up, school has been kicking my butt and this is the first chance I am having to write about, what I personally consider, the best episode of This is Us all season. Actually, it might be the best episode since Season 2. I know, I know, I'm getting crazy. In "A Hell Of A Week: Part 2", we get to see Kevin's difficultly to let go of the past and perhaps finally move on from his great love story. THIS IS YOUR SPOILER ALERT, ALTHOUGH THIS EPISODE AIRED LITERALLY TWO WEEKS AGO SO LIKE, YOU'VE WATCHED IT BY NOW. In an effort to continue incorporating Jack in the show, we learn that the night that toddler Randall couldn't fall asleep, neither could toddler Kevin. He wants his little sheep mobile that Rebecca has already donated. Jack tells him, toward the end of the episode, that he's going to "find something else to love" and if that isn't putting the nail in the coffin for Kevin/Sophie, I don't know what is. Oh wait! Yes, I do! The rest of the episode! That does it! We know by now that Sophie called Kevin because her mother, Claire, passed away. In flashbacks, we as viewers meet Claire for the first time and she's...eccentric. She's irresponsible with money, Kevin's biggest fan, but she also is somewhat realistic. She refuses to give Kevin her mother's engagement ring, a beautiful emerald ring that Sophie wants badly, because she wants him to earn it. He never does. The whole episode is incredibly meta. As Kevin is working on night shoots for his movie, he insists to the director that the "ending we already shot was pretty good,". But, the director persists, "This is the ending everyone wants and they still won't see it coming." We thought that we were done with Sophie when she announced her engagement to Grant (whose face we don't see in this episode), but this episode proves there's more to be told when it comes to Kevin's greatest love thus far. Additionally, a running gag between teenage and adult Kevin and Sophie is predicting an ending when things get sad. To what? Well, we learn that the night of the horrific Pearson house fire, Kevin and Sophie went to a party in the woods. They got bored and decided to get donuts and go to the movies instead, where they saw MOST of Good Will Hunting. The power goes out and they aren't able to see the end so they make it up for the next 20 years, vowing to never watch it. After showing up at Claire's funeral and then again at her old house for the reception (with powdered donuts!!), Kevin whisks Sophie away to that same spot in the woods, where they finally watch the ending. I love so much of this because Kevin and Sophie as kids and as teenagers are perfect for one another. They compliment each other so well, and I could watch an entire movie of teen Kev and Soph's love story. I also love the realism that this episode has. Yes, they were perfect, but Kevin messed it up. He cheated on her during their marriage and they were never able to come back from it. They tried, but his alcoholism got in the way and eventually she found someone else. I like to see them as the anti-Jack and Rebecca. They just didn't work out, and while it's so sad, it's okay. They had some really beautiful moments. Speaking of beautiful moments, I LOST it when teen Sophie hands Kevin a napkin during his father's funeral with an alternate ending to the movie. What a perfect, emotional moment between two vulnerable people. Also, the scene when Kevin talks to Claire's grave and leaves his headshot and then takes it away is so sad and funny at the same time. I can't stop thinking about how amazing Justin Hartley is. After Kevin and Sophie say their goodbyes, Kevin heads back to LA and to Kate's house to hang out with her and baby Jack. When he arrives, Kate's bff Madison opens the door. Apparently Toby is at work, Kate and baby Jack went on the retreat she originally got as a birthday present for Toby, and Madison is dog sitting Audio. They have a cup of tea and share their romantic struggles. Kevin tells her not to focus so much on being left and instead celebrate the fact that she's the one who wants to stay. One thing leads to another and it sure looks like they sleep together. I mean, we don't see them kiss or anything sexy but Kevin does wake up shirtless in the bed next to her when he calls Randall the next day. He suggests the three siblings go back to Pittsburgh to the old cabin. As Sophie goes through her mother's things, she is finally able to have the emerald ring she always desired. She looks at it and compares it to her current engagement ring from faceless Grant and cries to herself. Some may take this as the Kophie story not being over, but I think it is. I don't think Kevin will ever earn that ring; it's Sophie's to keep now. When you think about it, it's really gut-wrenching and brutal, but life is like that sometimes and it's nice to see that play out on TV. I haven't decided whether or not I'm okay with this Madison thing yet, or if I believe that she's his baby mama and future fiancé. It would be nice to see the story unfold, and no matter how much I love Sophie and Kevin's story, I think it's time to finally let it go and move on. What do you think? Are you still team #Kophie or are you ready for Kevin's next great love story? Let me know in the comments! XO, Em The councilman is struggling, y'all. As if we didn't already know that Randall had chronic anxiety (untreated, I might add), this episode really cements that. It's a little redundant, in my personal opinion, but it also goes to show that not all heroes wear capes, and not everyone is as strong (whether it be mentally or physically) as they want to be. SPOILER ALERT: IT'S BEEN A MINUTE SINCE THE EPISODE AIRED BUT AS ALWAYS, IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED SEASON 4, EPISODE 11 "A HELL OF A WEEK: PART ONE" (I'M REALIZING NOW THAT THE PART ONE IMPLIES THAT THERE WILL INDEED BE A PART TWO TO THIS STRESSFUL SAGA) PLEASE DON'T READ ON OR YOU'LL BE AN ANXIOUS MESS FOR NO REASON AT ALL. THANKS! Last week's episode ended on a horrifying note when Randall found an armed man in his home. He says, "I won't let you get past me," which is a pretty ballsy move because I would've for sure either 1) screamed bloody murder OR 2) started crying hysterically begging for this man to take my shit and leave. Randall throws some money at the man (he has a money clip @ John Mulaney!) The man ends up leaving and Randall calls the police and it's all very hard to watch knowing Beth along with their three daughters were all sleeping in the house. I'm sitting here like; how did this man get in? Why doesn't Randall, a city councilman leaving in a nice house in Philly, not have a security system installed? I truly believe he takes on too much, and the flashbacks of this episode prove he's been that way his entire life. Randall calls Kevin to process what just happened, and Kevin informs him that he's back in Pittsburgh for Sophie's mom's funeral (that's why she called, y'all!). Kevin asks Randall where he was coming home from since he said he was at the airport, and Randall has to lie to his brother about their mother's derailing health. It's a nice scene between two brothers, so I'll give the episode that. Before I forget, I should mention that when Randall calls Kevin later in the episode to talk, we see Kevin in bed with a blonde haired woman. If it's Sophie, God help us all. I'm sure we'll find out next episode though. In flashbacks to the college years, or the beginning of the post-Jack era, Randall and Rebecca chat as she does her son's laundry. He tells her he's been having nightmares, but of course he doesn't go into much detail about them because he's Randall and he's the man of the house and he's the new Jack Pearson. Back at school, Randall uses Beth as his safe haven, often having her stay the night so he can fall asleep. Randall and Beth are goals at ALL ages. Kevin and Sophie come home early for Becca's birthday dinner, and Randall and Bec witness Kate throwing flowers into the garbage and fighting with her mysterious older boyfriend, Marc. The way they argue is so true to older Kate's character; it sounds like she's pleading with him and apologizing for nothing, something present-day Kate would do. Teen Beth suggests to Teen Randall that he address his grief about his father in a group setting. After all, both Beth and Randall lost their fathers around the same time, but while Beth seems to have made peace with her father's death, Randall is still obviously reeling from it. They plan on going to a support group, but just then Randall gets a call from Kevin saying that they (being him and Rebecca) are on their way to pick Randall up because something is wrong with Kate. Dun dun dun. So, once again, Randall doesn't get the help he needs and he pushes everything down in an effort to make everybody else's lives easier and better. In the present-day, Randall is distracted at work because he is terrified that that man is going to break into his home again. The police informed that they usually strike two nights in a row because families usually don't stay in their homes. His phone keeps going off due to the security system being installed, and he can't seem to pay attention or listen to anyone. He comes home to have a panic attack in his bathroom, and I'm like, bro, I would've had one in the bathroom at work. Beth tells Randall that they need to take the day after the Town Hall to talk about all of this and he agrees. While getting ready for the Town Hall Meeting, Beth's earrings seem to have been stolen as well as Randall's cuff links. Randall figures that the man came into his room, which sends him spiraling even more. At the meeting he can't even articulate answers properly. The next morning he goes running and runs (ha!) into Malik's dad who is like "bro, do you do anything to help with your shit BESIDES running?" and Randall is like "no". Malik's dad tells him to go to therapy and Randall is like "ok but first I gotta save this woman from being robbed" AND HE DOES IN THE BROAD DAYLIGHT. That's literally all I have to say about that because it's too much for one episode. Anywho, to wrap up, there's a scene in this episode where Jack, pre-sobriety, gives a three or four year old Randall a pep talk before bed. Randall can't fall asleep in his big boy bed and seeks Jack's help. Jack tells him that Kevin and Kate are high maintenance, and so Randall is going to have to do everyone a favor and not be high maintenance. He's going to have to be the tough one, the strong one, the dependable one. It's not Jack's finest parenting moment, because look at the mess it has created. But it's a good reminder that these characters are humans, and humans are allowed to make mistakes. So that's it on this episode! It makes me sad to see such an able man like Randall not get the help he needs, and I hope he does soon. What did y'all think? Comment! XOXO, Em You guys!!! TV is back! More specifically, This is Us is back! I wanted to love this episode, y'all, I really did. But I just didn't. I was really feeling the first maybe 20 minutes and then it lost me. SPOILER ALERT: YOU KNOW THE DEAL, IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED SEASON FOUR, EPISODE 10 "LIGHTS AND SHADOWS", STOP READING NOW. BUT IF YOU'RE JUST AS TIRED AS ME AND JUST WANT TO KNOW WHY THIS SHOW HAS MADE ME SO SAD, GO AHEAD AND KEEP ON READING. Okay, so first thing's first; I thought we explored the beginning of Jack and Bec's relationship enough. And I don't mean like their whole relationship, I just mean the very beginning where her father doesn't approve and takes Jack to a country club and basically relives that one episode of Gilmore Girls where Richard takes Luke golfing only we get to see it here play out in like eight different episodes. The trope is tired; I just want to see Jack and Bec happy or maybe see the moment he proposed to her or early moments in their marriage. I don't care that her parents didn't want them together because I know they end up together. Enough. Side Note: Did anyone else feel like Rebecca's mom's speech about Jack was totally out of character? I don't know if that was due to Becca's failing memory or what but it just seemed really off. Big Three Fail of the Episode #1: Kate and Toby argue about LadyKryptonite, whose name we learn is actually Kara. He says he just vents in his CrossFit group chat to blow off steam, but Kate feels weird about it. She decides to throw his (probably Aqaurius) ass a Jimmy Buffet themed birthday party, but is disheartened to learn that Toby no longer goes to the gym with all those she invited. He switched gyms two weeks ago. Why? Kara tried to kiss him. Kate handles herself really well this episode, which doesn't happen often, but I'm thankful that it did. She calls Toby out for avoiding being home with her and Jack, and when he confesses that their blind son just makes him sad, she can't even look at him. She says she booked them all a trip to a retreat for parents of blind children and he says something about how he can never watch Star Wars with his son. Whatever, dude. I guess this is less of a Kate fail and more of a Toby fail, but her marriage is failing nonetheless. Big Three Fail of the Episode #2: Guys! I was so freaking excited too see Sophia Bush back on my TV screen. I ADORE Sophia Bush. So when I heard she was playing a role in Kevin's story I was over the moon. Needless to say, I am not longer over the moon. Kevin hires a matchmaker because he has that whole plan to be engaged and have a kid by the time he's 40 which is in like, nine months. When the matchmaking doesn't go as planned, he meets Lizzie (Sophia Bush) in a coffee shop and they immediately click. Their chemistry is adorable and I want her to have his Pearson babies. Lizzie explains that she's from Chicago and she's on a business trip, meaning she can't stay. So Kevin, always the romantic, plans this amazing first date where he takes her to an empty Hollywood Bowl to see her favorite musician, John Legend. He tells her about the great romance that was Jack and Rebecca, and for a second it starts to feel too good to be true. She keeps getting calls and texts from her mom, and I'm thinking maybe something's wrong back home. But when Kevin kisses her, she finally confesses; she's married and he is nothing more than her celebrity hall pass. Her mom calling? Nope, that was her husband telling her to go for it. Booooooo. So I guess we won't be seeing more Sophia Bush around or Jennifer Morrison, or anyone that would make an adorable couple with Kevin. Instead as Kevin heads to set that night we watch as he gives his cell phone to an assistant just as an incoming call reads "Sophie". BOOOOOOOO AGAIN. I! Am! Done! With! Kophie! I'm all for a further explanation into what went wrong in their marriage, but why not parallel that with Kevin meeting the right girl and having SOMETHING good happen? No more Sophie. Get out. You've had your chance. This storyline is dead and tired. Big Three Fail of the Episode #3: The third and final fail of the episode comes from Randall. He's the only one that knows about Mama Pearson's declining health, and has been asked to keep it that way. He flies to wherever it is that Becca and Miguel live now and goes to the doctors with them. Miguel is a pain in the ass and is super rude to Randall, and as always Randall questions the authority and intelligence of medical professionals which irks me to no end. We don't learn much about Rebecca's health, only that she's showing signs of memory loss and it needs to continue to be monitored. Miguel apologizes to Randall and takes Bec home to watch World of Dance. I'm now realizing it's been almost four seasons and I still hate Miguel because I have absolutely no idea how they became a couple. Literally no idea besides that Facebook message he sent her. Randall goes home and there's this really long sequence of him saying goodnight and checking up on each of his daughters, including a lingering shot of him kissing Beth goodnight and telling her he's going to go downstairs and grab a glass of water. As he does, he sees a hooded man with a knife standing in his living room. Dun dun dun! But actually literally terrifying. Final Note: That John Legend song was kind of catchy. Final Final Note: After 10 years, Mandy Moore is finally releasing a new album! As someone who listens to her 2007 work of art, Wild Hope, all the damn time, you could say I'm pretty excited! What did y'all think? Are you just as bummed out as me? What's next? Tell me in the comments! XO, Em Oh wow, y'all. Oh wow. Where do I even begin? I truly feel like this is the first This is Us episode in like 2 seasons where I truly was at the edge of my seat and the cliffhanger blew my mind. Remember when we found out that Rebecca was married to Miguel at the end of the second episode of the series? This felt like that. I CAN'T REALLY SAY MORE WITHOUT MAKING A VERY BIG, VERY BOLD SPOILER ALERT FOR "SO LONG MARIANNE". IF YOU CONTINUE READING THIS AND THEN YOU'RE MAD THAT YOU GOT SPOILED I WILL NOT FEEL BAD FOR YOU. K, THANKS. It's Thanksgiving and you know what that means! Randall is hosting! Well, Beth is hosting and Randall is going on a wild goose chase to Jersey for their Thanksgiving decor (i.e. The Pilgrim Rick hat) with Annie and a very anxious Uncle Nicky at his side. Nicky feels uncomfortable in the Pearson home, especially given that Jack killed him off in his life's story. I cannot stress this enough, I LOVE Uncle Nicky. One of my favorite Uncle Nicky moments this episode is when he tries to convince Kevin to let him go with Randall, saying, "It gives me some time to get to know Russell." Only to be corrected by Randall himself, "Randall." Nicky then proves his own point, "See?". As for my other favorite Uncle Nicky moments, well, they come in the form of some flashbacks that we'll get to later. Toby and Kate take baby Jack on a plane to Philly where Kate decides to come clean and tell her husband that their son actually tried avocado for the first time with their neighbor Gregory. Toby is mad, but quickly gets over it, and I've now realized he has no place to be mad. He lied to Kate for MONTHS about going to the gym, getting jacked, and joining Crossfit, but she lets him believe for 24 hours that his first time eating solid food was with his dad and she's the bad guy? I don't love it. And you know things must be bad if I'm taking Kate's side. ALSO on Thanksgiving when Toby asks Kate to take a photo with his phone, she finds a message from someone named "LadyKryptonite" that says something along the lines of "Don't let her get you down." First of all, who puts someone in their phone as LadyKryptonite (No spaces either) and second of all, EXCUSE ME? Toby Damon, go home, you're drunk on Crossfit. In the flashybacks a much younger and pre-Vietnam Nicky and Jack decide to skip their family Thanksgiving because their parents are fighting. They spend some time together, listen to Leonard Cohen, and order five pounds of shrimp. The back and forth between Randall explaining what "So Long, Marianne" is about to old Nicky as young Nicky explains what it means to young Jack is truly heartbreaking. Nicky feels erased, but he also feels his brother's love, all in one breath. I cried, obviously. Nicky brings the 5 pounds of shrimp out again at 2019's Thanksgiving dinner. He says, "It's for Jack. My brother." And then I exploded into a puddle of tears, you know, as one does. Also on the guest list is Shauna, Deja's birth mama, and she's doing fantastic, which should cheer everyone up, but in reality bums them out. Beth is scared that Deja will long for her mom, and Deja breaks down and asks Beth why Shauna couldn't be like that for her. It's hard to watch. Rebecca is still pissed at Randall for recommending that she see a doctor for her memory issues, and when he tries to apologize she shuts him down. She insists on going to a movie alone, and I'm irritated by Miguel's silence in all of this. He just stays out of it, which is weird. I feel like as her husband he should tell Randall and the other kids what is going on with their mother's health. We watch as Becca goes searching for a bakery to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. She mistakes a young black man for a young William, and then loses her phone at the grocery store checkout where she buys flowers instead of cake. Then she goes and gets Chinese food (it's Thanksgiving, sis) alone and finally realizes that she doesn't have her phone which sends her spiraling. Honestly, the whole thing is very difficult to watch and I give props to Mandy Moore for her performance. I wrote in my notes for this episode that the new live action Cats movie looks terrifying. They must've show a commercial for it. I stand by that statement. adorablenessYou guys! Kevin has a really good episode (well, almost)! He is Uncle of the Year by taking Tess out and supportively urging her to come out to her friends at school. He is just so real and honest and grown-up with her and I love it. He also comes to the conclusion that in 9 months time (The Big 3's 40th birthday), he wants to be settled down. He wants to be married, or engaged and he wants a baby. Randall is like "Okay my dude please slow down" but Kevin is like "Nah, enough of this waiting bullshit" (This is exactly how their conversation goes, don't try to argue with me). So guess what? We see into the future, many parts of it actually. Grown-up Jack Damon and his wife make an appearance on a Thanksgiving probably 20+ years from now, where Lucy is pregnant with their child and stressed about hosting. Jack tells her not to worry, eat some shrimp adding, "There's five pounds." MY HEART. (If you don't understand what any of this means: remember the flashback from earlier? The adoreableness?) Do you also remember earlier when Rebecca's dumbass went and got Chinese food on Thanksgiving? Well, turns out she didn't. She actually wandered off on August 31st, 2020, 9 months into the future. On Thanksgiving she really did go to the movie, but by the time she got the previews she forgot what she had come to see. She reluctantly asks Randall to help her navigate whatever illness is plaguing her. But in the flash forward, she's doing much worse. That's where she got lost on her way to the grocery store, left her phone there, and had an afternoon lunch for one. After her meltdown in the restaurant, the police escort her home...to Kevin's home. Yes, Kevin's home where he is celebrating his 40th birthday with his sister Kate and his pregnant fiancée (this mystery woman is offscreen, suffering bouts of morning sickness). Miguel is also there, but I don't care because clearly he is no help with this Rebecca thing. Kate signs the legal documents as "Kate Pearson" which raises several red flags like; Where is Toby? Where is baby Jack? Why didn't she sign it Kate Damon? Do we care? And finally, when Becca asks Kevin where Randall is, he painfully reminds her, "We aren't speaking." FOR WHY, Kevin? FOR WHY? Aaaaaand that's a wrap on the first half of Season Four. What do we think so far? Got any wild predictions? Who is Kevin knocking up and marrying (if it's Sophie, we RIOT)? Why aren't he and Randall speaking? Surely, it's got something to do with Rebecca's health. And are we on the road to a KaToby divorce? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading and happy holidays! XO, Em This Is Us returns Tuesday, January 14th at 9PM on NBC. I originally wanted to title this recap "Uuuuuuugggghhhh". Mostly because the list of things to talk about on my notes app for this episode is so long, and also because this show can at times be emotionally draining. That sounds like a bad thing, but it isn't always. It's just a lot to take in, especially last night's episode. SPOILER ALERT: IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED SEASON TWO, EPISODE EIGHT "GOODNIGHT" OF A MILLION LITTLE THINGS DO NOT READ ON. LOTS AND LOTS OF SPOILERS ARE AHEAD. I'm going to be very straightforward about the loss depicted in this episode's preview; it's Rome's mom, Renee. She and Rome's father are about to leave for their Alaskan cruise when Renee suffers an aneurysm at the hair salon. For some reason the first person they call is Regina, who then has to break the news to her husband How I Met Your Mother-style. It's heartbreaking and really awful to watch but still doesn't quite hit the emotionality of Lily telling Marshall that his best friend, his father, has passed away. The bright side of this episode being focused on Rome's family is that we see the return of his brother Omar, played by the magnificent Jay Pharaoh. I cannot stress enough how much I love Jay Pharaoh. He's a comedic actor, but he plays this part so well, splitting between being the funny man and grieving son. Rome kicks it into high gear and immediately plans his mother's funeral because his father is dead set on going on the Alaskan cruise as a promise to his late wife. Rome and his father tend to butt heads, but he wants to try to make amends for his mom's sake. I feel as though Walter, Rome's dad, is too calm too quickly about his wife of 50 years dying so suddenly, but alas it is a TV show. PJ comes to the funeral because of course he does, and there's a really special scene where all the men bury Renee together. It made me realize that all the dudes on this show are ridiculously hot, and also that PJ literally never goes away. At Rome and Gina's house later, PJ goes to get a woman's coat for her and finds the DNA test under Rome's bed. He sees the results and ends up running away from home. Maggie and Gary are finally back to normal, but not for long because apparently she applied for a fellowship at Oxford (Britain, not Massachusetts). She was in the process of getting it when she got sick, but reapplied when she learned she was cancer free. Gary is very obviously conflicted because the fellowship is a year long ("That's longer than we've known each other,") but he's still trying to be supportive. I don't want Maggie to move away I'd rather these two lovebirds just play sock basketball in bed for the rest of time. Apparently Gary also got fired for taking so much time off in the last year (between his best friend dying and his girlfriend fighting cancer, this makes a lot of sense). Because nobody tells each other shit, Gina finds out by seeing his work stuff in the back of his car and urges him to tell Maggie, but of course, he doesn't. Instead he decorates her desk at the apartment in English flags and buys her a very posh black wig. He's the best man, but I'm afraid that he's setting himself up for heartbreak. My favorite moment with Gary and Maggie this episode is when they are talking to Jay Pharaoh ("They just have so much chemistry as brothers.") about Property Brothers. Gary has absolutely no idea what they're referencing ("It's a show, you gotta watch it.") and I would like to rewatch that scene over and over again. Ultimately, it convinces Gary to be supportive of Maggie's dreams and express his want for them to grow together. ABC, please be kind to these two, I love them so much. I cannot express how much I hate Delilah Dixon. It's ridiculous really, how much I hate her. She wants to take the kids to France for the Summer and that includes Eddie's baby, Charlie. When Eddie confronts her this, she freaks out and when he asks who is listed as the father on Charlie's birth certificate, she admits that it's Jon. Eddie politely asks that she change it, but she refuses ("You know I can't do that."). It's funny because just a little while ago Katherine literally helped Delilah stay in her fucking house and now Delilah repays her by being a complete and utter bitch. Katherine confronts her and says that she's a good lawyer and will do everything in her power to advocate for her husband ("My husband? Yes, I've been talking to him."). Delilah fights back and says that she knows Katherine is a good lawyer, but she's asking her to be a good person. Bitch what? You yourself are not a good person and you have the nerve to ask that of others? Nope. Delilah gives Gina a hard time too, telling her that she feels ganged up on. Gina says that sometimes being a best friend doesn't always mean telling your best friend what they want to hear. Clearly, Delilah doesn't understand that. At the end of the episode she gets a rude awakening though when she learns that PJ is not only Barbara Morgan's son (something she didn't know previously I guess), but also Jon's son (allegedly, if that Harvard sweatshirt was really his). Delilah is like "Why didn't you tell me?!" (about the Barbara thing, then she finds out about the Jon thing) and I'm like, bitch you're really one to talk, huh? I almost want her to run off to France so I can stop dealing with her. The thing I'm most happy about with regards to the ending is that Walter and Rome finally start to make peace with one another. They watch old home movies and Rome realizes things his dad did for him that he didn't know before. It's very emotional and powerful to watch and I hope their relationship continues to grow. Next week really looks like a lot is happening, so make sure to stay tuned. Also, the creator of the show himself as tweeted that while he is super proud of next week's Fall finale, you should make sure you're in the right headspace while watching it. I'm taking that as a trigger warning, so make sure you're taking care of yourself, friends. Let's discuss this week's madness. What's bothering you? What did you like? Did you expect the death to be Rome's mom? How do we feel about Maggie possibly heading to the UK? Is Delilah the worst character EVER? Where did PJ go? Is it just me or has James Roday gotten really, really hot? Tell me in the comments. XO, Em Sorry. It's both a powerful word and a word with no meaning at all. It depends on the context and the emotion behind it, I suppose. I don't really believe anyone who said "sorry" on last night's This is Us. The word is thrown around so much there doesn't seem to be much truth behind the 'I'm' that comes before it. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN SEASON FOUR, EPISODE EIGHT "SORRY" OF THIS IS US I STRONGLY SUGGEST BOOKMARKING THIS POST AND SAVING IT FOR LATER OR ELSE YOU'LL BE...SORRY. PLEASE APPLAUD ME THAT WAS A GOOD ONE. Well, we're one week away from the Fall finale of This is Us and you know what that means? Draaaaaama. No seriously, all the drama is about to come pouring in and I don't know how invested I am in it? I guess we're saying farewell to Jennifer Morrison's character? I guess Randall and Rebecca are fighting now? I KNOW for a fact that Kate and Toby's marriage is going downhill. All the drama is just kinda sad. I want something happy! But I guess you can't always get what you want and that's the truth in this episode. After sleeping with Cassidy a few weeks ago, Kevin realizes he fucked up a pretty solid friendship and Uncle Nicky yells at him so bad he starts imagining that the words are coming from Jack Pearson himself. So what does Kevin do? He goes to the fucking bar. He doesn't drink, but he wants to. Then he gets punched in the face (he totally deserved it). Cass and Nicky come to his rescue, but it's all so manufactured and done before. We've seen this Kevin a million times. Will he ever change? My favorite Kevin is a changed one, and for most of this season we've had it. But he totally blows it every single time. After thinking about it some more, I've decided I'm not happy that Kevin and Cassidy slept together. It ruined their dynamic. I wish they had fallen in love before the sex. I wish it was a slow burn. Instead now it just looks she's another name on Kevin's list. Especially now that she's headed home. Which brings me to Nicky's trial. He doesn't get jail time for throwing that chair through the window. He's just on probation (I think). Afterward, Cassidy, Kevin, and Nicky have a long talk about how Cassidy should try to make amends with her jackass husband for some reason, and so she does. She walks into the restaurant they always go to on Wednesday nights after Matty's swimming lessons and sits down with her family. Kevin and Nicky watch from afar, rooting her on. She hopes that Kevin gets his happy ending. So what exactly was the point of Jennifer Morrison's character on this show? She had like a four episode arc that just led to her getting back with a man who was not kind to her and wanted her to be the old version of herself. I loved her friendships with Kevin and Nicky, but it was so short lived. Is she coming back? What is happening? I'm so confused. Anyway, Kate and Toby are definitely gonna get divorced. They don't communicate well, and Toby is missing all of baby Jack's firsts. Gregory the neighbor who had a stroke but is now Kate's walking buddy is there when baby Jack eats food (avocado!) for the very first time, but Kate allows Toby to think the first time is later that same day. It made me feel icky. That's that entire plot line there. Moving on to my precious babies Deja and Malik. They're having a ~supervised~ date while Beth is in the kitchen but oh no! The kids are fighting! Beth gets Malik to spill what exactly they're fighting about and it turns out it's a pretty mature argument. Deja wants to see her birth mom but doesn't want to bring it up to Beth and Randall, since they kinda swept it under the rug last time. Malik wants her to say something, Deja doesn't want to. Beth confronts Deja and says that they will most certainly make time for her to see her mother. Deja asks if she can invite her to Thanksgiving. Beth says yes with a kind of strained smile. She lets the teens have 30 seconds of unsupervised time to kiss, and it's sweet. I love Beth. I love Deja. I love Malik. Now for the juicy stuff. Rebecca comes to town and wants Randall to show her his office since he's a congress-erhm-councilman. She's super odd this episode. She has a new phone and wants to take pictures of literally everything. When she momentarily misplaces her phone, she acts like it's the end of the world. Becky, calm down. In flashbacks, Randall initiates the very first "R&R" time when he comes home to do laundry and offers to look over Bec's resume so that she can get a job to help with her finances. When her interview goes poorly, he goes in and advocates on her behalf. Randall is son of the year, any year. She gets the job, they laugh and bond and it's so good to see them like that. But in the present day, Rebecca isn't doing so well, and no amount of R&R time is going to fix that. Randall addresses his concerns about her health, but she immediately gets irrationally defensive over literally nothing. She tells him that she is still the parent and he is still the child (who hasn't heard that line before, am I right?). Randall counters, but restrains himself from saying, but still implying that he has been the parent in this relationship for the past 20 years. Rebecca says that he is being cruel and TBH I kinda agree with her, even if she's acting completely irrational. Here's what I think: I think Randall is the BEST son. I think he's done everything right. When Rebecca's world came crashing down, he stepped up. He didn't have to, but he's Jack Pearson's son and he did. Was it a healthy move? Not necessarily. That doesn't mean it was wrong. I do think maybe Bec should've set better boundaries and not relied so heavily on her son, but they had/have a good relationship and it thrived on mutual love and respect for one another. I don't think he became the parent, I think he just matured quicker than Kevin and Kate and did more for his mother. That's not to say she didn't do anything for him. I don't think Randall's argument here is unfair. He has done a lot of heavy lifting for the family since Jack died, and insinuating that he has been the parent for the past 20 years isn't complete bullshit, but it's still really hurtful, and there's other ways he could've said it. He shouldn't have done it right then and there, when Rebecca is obviously going through something. As I've written this, I've realize I've contradicted myself like 20 times, and rather than go through and make a clear argument, I'm gonna let it be. Life and family is messy. There's no good answer to this. It's so many things. I'm worried about Rebecca. I worried about her relationship with Randall. When he goes to say sorry she shuts the door in his face. I wish she had Jack. I wish they had all went to therapy (together) back in '98. I wish I wish I wish. What do you wish? What do you think? What's going on with Bec? Was she out of line? Was Randall out of line? Tell me in the comments. XO, Em Hey, y'all! It's time for possibly my favorite blog post of the week, the recap of A Million Little Things. I think it's my favorite because this show literally makes me either so happy or makes my skin crawl (which means it's good!). It makes for good writing about the show, that's for sure, because none of these characters (except Katherine) are likeable. Seriously, they are all such flawed, kinda awful people, but sometimes we all are, so I can't fault them too much. Except for Delilah. I'm faulting her HARD this week. Bitch has gotta GO. SPOILER ALERT WARNING!!! IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED A MILLION LITTLE THINGS, SEASON TWO EPISODE FOUR, "TEN YEARS" STOP READING THIS! BUT ALSO, DON'T STOP READING IT! BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT TO BE FUNNY AS HELL AND BY THE END YOU'LL HAVE FELT LIKE YOU WATCHED IT. It's everybody's least favorite child's 10th birthday (I'm looking at you, Theo). Katherine and Eddie are still talking about having sex in that damn walk-in closet and I'm like, "Y'all, the sex couldn't have been THAT good in that tiny little space but it's also Eddie so go off." Katherine makes a comment about having never been to Arizona and Theo (ugh) corrects her because she did go visit the Grand Canyon for her last case. She's like, "Ahh yes, that big lie I'm telling you, almost forgot about it." This brings her to realize that all this lying is very, very bad for her relationship with Eddie and with Theo, and she wants to come clean to all the kids. Sounds reasonable. Maggie is practicing for her driver's test and I'm getting confused because wasn't she like 22 when Chad died? Did she not have her license then? Oh wait, she's from Chicago, right? Maybe she used public transit? Am I writing this show now? Who knows. Anywho, she goes to take her driver's test but has a panic attack (I get it) so she bails, but Sophie passes and is SO excited. Danny and Delilah surprise her with a car that Jon bought the year she was born (dude thought of EVERYTHING) and the extreme focus on this car has got me thinking that something is going to go terribly wrong. *cue mysterious music* PJ comes to Rome and Gina's anxiously awaiting his DNA test (spoiling it for you now: He just took a DNA test turns out he's 100% Jon's son! Or is he?). He also runs into Delilah and its awkward because Rome and Gina don't want her to know about PJ? I guess Jon fathering PJ wouldn't have been him cheating on Delilah but it would be another secret kept from her and everyone else. Delilah tells Gina (who is babysitting Charlie while Delilah does...something) that Katherine wants to tell the kids the truth about the baby's paternity. At first, Gina is on Delilah's side for some reason("D, you're the best mom I know!" Really Gina? Really?), but later while baking a cake with Katherine, she realizes that Katie is right. I don't know why this line hasn't been uttered on the show yet, but the kids are going to find out eventually! They just are! This cannot be a secret forever and Delilah claims she's protecting her kids but in reality she's protecting herself from being resented and she is only setting them up for more emotional damage in the future. While babysitting, Charlie spits up on her own outfit so Katherine changes her into something she saw at a store across from her work. It's moments like these when Katherine does the opposite of what anyone else would do in that situation that you realize she's the best character on this show. Gina tells Delilah that she is starting to agree with Katherine, and Eddie also tells Delilah that he is beginning to side with his wife. Delilah freaks the fuck out and wants nothing to do with any of them, grabbing her baby back and robbing her child of a meaningful relationship with her father. Delilah's main line of defense here is that she and Eddie decided that this was the best plan prior to Charlie's birth. Remember when she and Eddie also decided they were in love and were gonna run away together and leave all of their children behind but then Jon killed himself and fucked up their plans? Katherine intervenes and says that Delilah and Eddie's decisions didn't give her a say and that isn't fair because her child (Theo) is involved in this too. He doesn't know he has a sister. He doesn't know why his mom keeps leaving. He doesn't understand and never will unless he is told the truth. Delilah remains selfish and angry and storms off. All I can say here is congrats to Katherine just finally standing her ground and for also being a badass bitch. There's a line where a classmate of Theo's comes to the birthday party and the mom brings the kid's younger sibling and says she hopes that's okay. Katherine says, "Of course, siblings are always welcome," while looking Delilah directly in the eye. I was shouting YES from my couch. I give props to Eddie (beautiful, beautiful Eddie) for taking Katherine's side here. It's hard to believe like nine months ago he was such a dumb fuck. It's also hard to believe he would ever want to run away with Delilah's dumb ass. He shuts her the fuck down when she starts coming for Katherine and I appreciate it. PJ comes to the birthday party too as Sophie's plus one. Sophie and Eddie sing a song which makes Delilah raise the point of "Well, if Sophie knows what Eddie and I did her and Eddie's relationship will never be the same." Well bitch, that's kind of the point, isn't it? She's gonna be even more pissed if she finds it out ten years from now and that he was lying to her this entire time. Sophie totally has a thing for PJ who may or may not be (DNA test says yes) her half-brother. She takes him for a spin in her new car and when she tries to kiss him and he stops her, she drives hits a pole. Delilah comes to the rescue and makes a big show of how much her kids need her right now. No! They need you to be HONEST. Trust me they will respect you so much more in the long run if you just do the right thing! Maggie leaves Theo's party early to go do Gary a favor. Earlier in the episode Gary found Colin (Wesley's) old owner, a really sweet old lady who just lost her husband and decides to give her dog back. Maggie offers to do it with him, but Gary wants to do it alone. Maggie later (ubers?) herself to take her driver's test and passes (yay!) and tells Gary that she will be taking Colin back. They say their goodbyes, and it's really horribly sad and the tears won't stop coming. On the way there, Maggie decides she needs to make a pit stop and does but we don't see where she goes. Gary meets her at the lady's house and decides to do it for himself (these people are really back and forth with their decision making skills) and says a tearful goodbye to Colin/Wesley. When he gets back in the car, he sees Colin/Wesley again. He's like "wait what?". Turns out Maggie went to the animal shelter and adopted the lost dog from last week's episode that looked exactly like Colin/Wesley and gave THAT dog to the old lady, thus letting Gary keep Colin because the woman would never know the difference. Now, I don't know if I condone this because it's very, very wrong. HOWEVER, it's so savage and incredible and really just magnificent to watch. I love this side of Gary and Maggie. Not the malicious side of course, but the fun side where they do things (get their driver's license, switch out dogs) for one another. "You've done everything for me," Maggie tells Gary as she offers to do the big favor for him. It's true love. Finally, the cake Katherine made earlier turns out not to be for Theo, but for Eddie! He's celebrating ten years of sobriety, so congrats on that! The day Theo was born was one of the best and worst days of Katherine's life because Eddie wasn't there to see the birth of his son, but it was the day he decided to go to rehab and get sober. Things are definitely heating up between this two, and I'm happy about it but also sad that so much has come between them in their time together. So! What do we think? Is PJ REALLY Jon's son or did that DNA test go wrong? Are you Team Delilah or Team Katherine? Is there even a Team Delilah? Was the dog thing really morally wrong or perfect? Tell me in the comments! XO, Em Hey, y'all! How goes it? I'm just sitting here, writing this post as the snow falls down outside and honestly it's kind of relaxing. Last week's This is Us took a break from flashbacks (okay, there's still SOME flashbacks) and nostalgia and instead turned its focus onto two of its younger characters, Deja and Malik. The funny thing is, if you would've told me 3 years ago that this episode would be about Deja and Malik I would've said, "Who?" because Deja didn't come into the picture until Season 2, and Malik is new to the cast this season. It's so funny how much this show has expanded beyond just the Pearson family (I love it for expanding, sometimes the Pearsons drive me mad). Without further ado, here is your SPOILER ALERT WARNING for the Season Four episode, "The Dinner and the Date". So let's catch up on the Deja and Malik story, shall we? Deja is Randall and Beth's adopted daughter, she's a freshman in high school so let's say she's probably 14 going on 15. Then there's Malik. He's charming, he's adorable, he's a...teenage father. He's a junior, he's 16, and he has a six month old daughter named Janelle. He also is smitten with Deja, who is smitten right back. Randall and Beth found out about Malik and thought it was cute that Deja had a crush, but then they found out he puts babies in people and they were like "nope nope nope". However, everyone knows that telling your child, let alone hormonal TEENAGER that they can't do something only makes them want to do it more. Obviously Deja and Malik still like each other, so with a little coaxing Deja agrees to skip school with him for the day. Look, I'm not saying I condone this but...their parents won't let them hang out! And they're young! And she hasn't seen all the historical parts of Philly! It's not like they're skipping school to have sex, it's very wholesome. They have the absolute sweetest day and talk about really ~deep~ things. They get cheese steaks and ice cream and lay down in the grass in the park holding hands but then Deja gets scared, but then Malik runs after her and it's SO DRAMATIC. She's trying to remember the last time she was in Philly when she was young with her grandma and mama and he takes her to see these lights that complete the memory and then they KISS. AHHHH. Obviously Beth and Randall and Mr. and Mrs. Malik's parent find out about this day of skipping and are NOT HAPPY. But we'll talk about that later. For now, let's discuss the past, more specifically 1992, which we seem to be stuck in lately, huh? We're still rolling along with this Randall's teacher storyline, and I have no idea if I like it or not. Apparently Jack doesn't know his son is black and that he can't relate to him on certain levels. This kind of checks out for Jack because he always wants to be the best at everything, but I also feel like he's more well rounded and insightful enough to know better. Oh god, y'all. I just realized that Jack and Bec are boomers. Nope, this all DEFINITELY makes sense now. So they have Randall's teacher, Mr. Lawrence, and his wife over for dinner, and it's so awkward that I want to stop watching it immediately. Kevin is wildly inappropriate the entire time, and when Randall suggests going to this Black History Festival with his teacher and his wife, Jack is like "no Randall we will go as a FAMILY". Rebecca pulls him into the kitchen and is like, "Ew, you're being really gross" and he apologizes to Mr. Lawrence who tells him that the Pearson's need a little lesson in Black history. He then also tells Jack that he's the one that will get to meet Randall's children which is just so sad because it's not true. Back in the present day, Randall and Beth decide to invite Malik's parents over for dinner to discuss what they should do about these damn kids! Beth wears open toed shoes for an open mind (she's the best character, y'all) and Annie makes a ton of inappropriate but very valid comments throughout the night ("It's crazy that you have a baby" and "We never say grace"). Beth also sneaks away for some wine that she hides in the pantry when said dinner gets a little tense. Randall is the less open-minded one, but he ends up getting along with Malik's dad swimmingly! It's Malik's mom that we have to worry about. She thinks Deja is trouble to which I say...ma'am your son has a whole ass child. Beth is having none of it, Janelle the baby keeps crying during dinner making things chaotic, and the rising tension makes this dinner possibly more awkward than the one from 1992. There's a whole debate about how both sides are not seeing these children for who they really are. Malik is a great student and Deja is a great sister. Malik's family leaves and Beth and Randall go see a disappointed Deja in her room. She apologized to The Hodges for skipping school, but not for liking their son (awww) and B and R tell her she's grounded, but she can still see Malik. They want to know more about this sweet father and straight-A student. I love them. So that's the episode! Do we ship Deja and Malik? Are we onboard or do we want a more organic love story (I haven't decided, truthfully)? What do we think of Kelly and Darnell, Malik's parents? Why is Jack so bad at regonizing that his son is black? What's gonna happen next? Tell me in the comments! XO, Em |